Brentwood, Essex
Encyclopedia
Brentwood is a town and the principal settlement of the Borough of Brentwood
, in the county of Essex
in the east
of England
. It is located in the London commuter belt
, 20 miles (30 km) east north-east of Charing Cross in London
, and near the M25 motorway
.
Brentwood is an affluent suburban town of 71,500 people and with a small, but expanding, shopping area and high street. Beyond this is extensive sprawling residential development entirely surrounded by open countryside and woodland; some penetrating to within only a few hundred yards of the town centre. It is perhaps most widely known for Brentwood School and for several businesses based in the town.
" was the middle English for "burnt". The name describes the presumed reason for settlement in the part of the Forest of Essex (later Epping Forest
) that would have covered the area, where the main occupation was charcoal burning. An alternative meaning of "brent" is "holy one", which could refer to the chapel dedicated to Thomas Becket
, for the use of pilgrims to Canterbury
.
axe has been found in Brentwood and there are clear signs of an entrenched encampment in Weald Country Park
it is considered unlikely that there was any significant early settlement of the area which was originally covered by the Great Forest covering most of Essex at that time. Rather it is believed that despite the Roman road between London
and Colchester
passing through, the Saxons
were the earliest settlers of the area.
Robert Graves
, in his book I, Claudius
, refers to Brentwood as the site of the battle where Claudius
defeated the Ancient Britons
in 44 AD. However, Graves also states that names and places in the book are sometimes fictitious.
The borough began as a small clearing in the middle of a dense forest, created by fire, giving it the name of Burntwood, or 'the place where the wood was burned'. People began to settle there and, because it was on the crossroads of the old Roman road from Colchester to London and the route the pilgrims took over the River Thames
to Canterbury, it grew into a small town. A chapel was built in or around 1221, and in 1227 a market charter was granted. The new township, occupying the highest ground in the parish, lay at the junction of the main London-Colchester road with the Ongar-Tilbury road. Its growth may have been stimulated by the cult of St. Thomas the Martyr, to whom the chapel was dedicated: the 12th century ruin of Thomas Becket
Chapel was a popular stopping point for pilgrims on their way to Canterbury. The ruin stands in the centre of the high street, next to the tourist information office, and the nearby parish church of Brentwood retains the dedication to St. Thomas of Canterbury. Pilgrims Hatch
, or 'Pilgrims' gate', was probably named from pilgrims who crossed through on their way to the chapel. It is likely, however, that Brentwood's development was due chiefly to its main road position, its market, and its convenient location as an administrative centre. Early industries were connected mainly with textile and garment making, brewing, and brickmaking.
During the Peasants' Revolt
of 1381, Brentwood was the meeting place for some of the instigators, such as John Ball
and Jack Straw
. They, apparently, met regularly in local pubs and inns. The Essex assizes
were sometimes held here, as well as at Chelmsford
. One such pub was The White Hart (now a nightclub called Sugar Hut Village and showing little of its original historic interest), which is one of the oldest buildings in Brentwood; it is believed to have been built in 1480 although apocryphal evidence suggests a hostelry might have stood on the site as much as a hundred years earlier and been visited in 1392 by Richard II
, whose coat of arms included a white hart. The ground floor was originally stabling and in the mid-1700s the owners ran their own coach service to London. On 13 September 2009, the building and roof suffered significant damage during a fire.
Marygreen Manor, a handsome 16th century building on London Road, is mentioned in Samuel Pepys
' diaries and is said to have been often visited by the Tudor monarch Henry VIII
when Henry Roper, Gentleman Pursuant to Queen Catherine of Aragon
, lived there in 1514. It is now a hotel and restaurant. In 1686, Brentwood's inns were estimated to provide 110 beds and stabling for 183 horses. There were 11 inns in the town in 1788.
Protestant martyr William Hunter
was burnt at the stake in Brentwood in 1555. A monument to him was erected by subscription in 1861 at Wilson's Corner. Thomas Munn, 'gentleman brickmaker' of Brentwood, met a less noble end when he was hanged for robbing the Yarmouth mail and his body was exhibited in chains at Gallows Corner, a road junction a few miles from Brentwood. A ducking stool was mentioned in 1584.
As the Roman road grew busier, Brentwood became a major coaching stop for stagecoaches, with plenty of inns for overnight accommodation as the horses were rested. A 'stage' was approximately ten miles, and being about 20 miles (32.2 km) from London, Brentwood would have been a second stop for travellers to East Anglia
. This has not changed; there is an above average number of pubs in the area - possibly due to the army being stationed at Warley Barracks until the 1960s. Some of the pubs date back to the 15th and 16th centuries. Brentwood was also significant as a hub for the London postal service, with a major post office since the 18th century. The most recent major post office on the high street was recently closed in the 2008 budget cuts; Brentwood residents now must rely on sub-postal offices.
Daniel Defoe
wrote about Brentwood as being "...full of good inns, and chiefly maintained by the excessive multitude of carriers and passengers, which are constantly passing this way to London, with droves of cattle, provisions and manufactures."
The 'Brentwood Ring', the earliest Christian ring ever to have been discovered in Britain was found in Brentwood in the late 1940s. It now resides at the British Museum
in London. The only other ring of its type in existence can be found at the Vatican Museum in Rome
.
, the Brentwood parish formed part of the Billericay Rural District
of Essex. In 1899 the parish was removed from the rural district and formed the Brentwood Urban District
. In 1934 the parish and district were enlarged by gaining Hutton, Ingrave and South Weald. The district was abolished in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972
, and Brentwood urban district was joined with the parishes of Ingatestone and Fryerning, Mountnessing, Doddinghurst, Blackmore, Navestock, Kelvedon Hatch, and Stondon Massey to form the Brentwood district with a total area of 36,378 acres. In 1976 the new district was divided into 18 wards, with 39 councillors. In 1993, Brentwood gained borough status.
In 1917, the parish church was awarded cathedral status, then between 1989 and 1991 the building was modified to appear in an Italianate Classical style. Brentwood Cathedral
is currently the seat of the Roman Catholic Bishop of Brentwood
.
Incidentally, Ingatestone Hall, noted for its Roman Catholic connections through the Petres, is a 16th-century manor house built by Sir William Petre at Yenge-atte-Stone. The staunch Petres played a significant role in the preservation of the Catholic faith in England. Sir William was assistant to Thomas Cromwell
when Henry VIII
sought to dissolve the monasteries
and ascended to the confidential post of Secretary of State, throughout the revolutionary changes of four Tudor monarchs: Henry VIII, Edward VI
, Mary I
, and Elizabeth I
. Queen Mary, in 1553, on her way to claim her crown in London, stopped at Ingatestone Hall; later, Queen Elizabeth I spent several nights at the hall on her royal progress of 1561.
Today, Ingatestone Hall, like all other large Tudor houses, is an expression of wealth and status and retains many of the features of a 16th century knightly residence, despite alterations by descendants who still live in the house. Ingatestone Hall represented the exterior of Bleak House in the 2005 television adaptation of Charles Dickens
' novel, and also appeared in an episode of the television series Lovejoy
. It is open to the public for tours, concerts, and performances; the hall and grounds can be rented for weddings and other occasions.
Brentwood was the location of Warley Hospital
, a psychiatric hospital
, from 1853 to 2001. A British East India Company
elephant training school was based in Brentwood and this remained an active army base as a depot for the Essex Regiment
until 1959, when much of the site was redeveloped as the European headquarters for the Ford Motor Company
. A few buildings remain from the Barracks - the regimental chapel, the gymnasium (now being a council-owned public hall called Keys Hall) and the officers mess (now Marillac Hospital).
The local common was used as a military camp in 1742, with thousands of troops camped there during the summer months. It was an ideal base, as it was less than a day's march to Tilbury, where the troops would leave for foreign service. In the 1778 encampment, George III
came to inspect the troops, and Dr. Samuel Johnson stayed for five days. The camps were made permanent in 1804, with space for 2,000 cavalry. 116 acre (0.46943576 km²) of land were bought and used for two troops of horse artillery - 222 horses, with 306 soldiers of varying ranks and ten officers - a hospital, and half a battalion of the Rifle Brigade.
In 1842 the East India Company's barracks at Chatham became inadequate, and they purchased the land to move their troops in. Accommodation was created for 785 recruits and 20 sergeants with new buildings for the officers. Married family housing was also provided, and a chapel. In 1856 further building work was carried out, and a total of 1,120 men were housed there every year. After training they were deployed to India.
The area and men were absorbed into the British Army after the Indian Mutiny in 1857, and in 1861 the barracks was bought by the War Office. By 1881 the many different regiments had evolved into the Essex Regiment, which saw active service in the Boer War and both World Wars. The barracks served as a training centre and depot for the Essex Regiment for a number of years after the war, with many National Servicemen serving their first weeks here, but with the ending of conscription in 1960 the barracks closed.
During World War II
, over 1,000 bombs were dropped on Brentwood, with 19 flying bombs (doodlebugs), 32 long-range rockets (V2s) and many incendiary bombs and parachute mines. 5,038 houses were destroyed, 389 people were injured and 43 died. The 15th- and 16th-century pubs, however, survived. Brentwood had been considered a safe enough haven to evacuate London children here - 6,000 children arrived in September 1939 alone.
Brentwood gained some unfair notoriety and national attention in the 1990s, mocked as the most boring town in Britain. The controversy was initially caused by David McClucky, the former manager of Brentwood Theatre, who, while being interviewed by a local reporter, said it was "hard to pick something interesting about Brentwood" in response to a query about the upcoming Brentwood Festival (a now-defunct parade and street festival). He later claimed he meant it was hard to pick from the many interesting historical events in Brentwood's history. The trivia that 'bored town' is an anagram of Brentwood added to the jesting in the press.
In 2008 The Daily Telegraph
found Brentwood to be Britain's 19th richest town. The newspaper cited Brentwood's private schools, open parks, good motorway access and a 35-minute train journey to London's Liverpool Street station
as reasons why it was chosen. A sizable proportion of the housing stock in Brentwood is characterised with large detached houses. 79% of the town's 28,767 dwellings are owner-occupied, and 40% of households own two or more cars.
A significant proportion of residents, particularly those who live in the suburbs of Shenfield and Hutton, work in the financial services sector in London. The City 'bonus season' is known to have a positive affect on the economy of Brentwood.
Brentwood's high street has also been subject to major redevelopment works costing between £3 million and £7 million. This included the demolition of the Sir Charles Napier pub to build an additional lane to improve traffic flow at the west end of the high street, and re-laying the pavements and road surface in the high street itself.
The Ford Motor Company
's United Kingdom headquarters are located in the suburb of Warley
, as are the property developer Countryside Properties
. Hinge manufacturers NV Tools are based in the commuter suburb of Hutton
.
From the financial services sector, Equity Insurance Group
, comprising Equity Red Star (Lloyd's
syndicate 218), affinity provider Equity Direct Broking Limited and motorcycle insurance broker Bike Team, is headquartered in the town centre. The Bank of New York Mellon also have a substantial presence in the town.
LV=
also has a major office in the town, employing 350 people at present.
The previous and current headquarters of electronics company Amstrad
are located in Brentwood. The television show The Apprentice used overhead views of the Canary Wharf
business district in London
as an accompaniment to interior shots of the previous Amstrad offices, Amstrad House, which has since been converted into a Premier Inn hotel. Amstrad's current headquarters are located directly opposite the old Amstrad House.
Well-known businesses that used to operate in the town include vacuum flask
manufacturer Thermos, and Nissen
whose UK factory and headquarters were established in the town by Ted Blake
in the mid-1960s but closed in the 1980s.
The unemployment rate in Brentwood is 1.9%.
In 2011, a beauty parlour
in the town became the focus of tabloid controversy when it was reported to be offering cosmetic treatments to children. The salon opened on the same day that a government report expressed concern over the commercialisation and sexualisation of children.
which also encompasses the surrounding smaller suburbs and villages. For elections to Westminster, Brentwood forms part of the Brentwood and Ongar constituency. In the 2010 general election, Conservative Eric Pickles won the Brentwood and Ongar seat in parliament.
Brentwood Theatre is a fully fitted community theatre that serves more than 40 non-professional performing arts groups. With high-quality lighting and sound, set design and production, and flexible staging, it is also an ideal venue for touring professional troupes, like Eastern Angles, who recently staged Return to Akenfield to critical acclaim. Audrey Longman, the retiring chair of Brentwood Theatre Trust, and patron Stephen Moyer led a fundraising campaign to build on much-needed backstage facilities. The "Reaching Out, Building On" campaign, well publicised by local radio station Phoenix FM
, enabled the theatre to build on an entire back wing, enhancing the theatre with dressing rooms, a kitchen, office space, lifts, and the Audrey Longman Studio, a 40-seat multi-purpose room outfitted with dance mirrors, staging, seating, lighting, and sound for intimate performances, rehearsals, workshops, classes, and community meetings and ceremonies.
Local involvement provided support for Brentwood Theatre's renovation, but the campaign received a significant bump when a fan-based fundraiser became known to American fans of actor Stephen Moyer
, the first patron of the theatre. Word of the endeavor rapidly spread among fansites on the internet that emerged as a result of the popularity of HBO's True Blood
, created and produced by Alan Ball
and based loosely on Charlaine Harris
's Southern Vampire Mysteries. The show stars Brentwood-born Moyer and Golden Globe and Academy Award winner Anna Paquin
. Moyer's portrayal of vampire Bill Compton inspired American and international contributors to donate more than £5,000 to the cause.
The theatre has also become known for its month-long Annual Holiday Children's Production every December. In 2008, local families enjoyed Roald Dahl's Fantastic Mr. Fox with Stephen Gunshon, Deborah Leury, and Katie-Elizabeth Allgood; the theatre presented Dahl's The Twits in the 2009 season.
The Hermitage youth service operates its own cafe, youth club and a live music venue called The Hermit, which has had hosted bands such as Motörhead and InMe
. InMe were heavily supported in their early years by the venue, whose purpose is to promote and encourage youth bands. It also plays host to private events such as a weekly jazz club that was run by the saxophonist Spike Robinson
until his death. Both venues co-host the Brentwood Blues Festival, a music event that has played host to the Blockheads and Bill Wyman
.
A community radio station, Phoenix FM
serves the Brentwood area. The station was formed in August 1996 and broadcast ten trial broadcasts under a restricted service licence, each lasting 28 days, the first starting on 29 December 1996 and the last ending on 25 February 2006. On 23 March 2007, the station started to broadcast permanently on 98.0 FM, featuring popular music, local musicians and acts, local events, and interviews with key local figures.
The Brentwood Art Trail has become a popular annual summer event which was developed to create an arts experience whereby art created by local people can be recognised and appreciated.
Brentwood is also home to the Royal British Legion Youth Band, which perform at many events throughout the year, including the military tattoo at Haileybury and Swanage Carnival. It is a successful band and attracts youngsters from the age of eight from Brentwood and surrounding areas. It was the first British band to ever take part in the Tournament of Roses Parade
in Pasadena, California
. It meets twice a week in Warley.
Among the many theatre companies in the region, Brentwood Operatic Society and Shenfield Operatic Society are two that represent the many groups providing excellent theatrical productions for the community. Brentwood Operatic Society also trains young actors with its BOSSY Youth acting program, headed by Gaynor Wilson, who formerly directed actor Stephen Moyer. David Pickthall serves as musical director when not heading the music department at Brentwood School, scoring films and television shows for the BBC, directing British orchestras, and composing. The award-winning composer wrote two operas and three musicals, published worldwide by Samuel French Ltd. He is also the musical voice of the villainous penguin in the Oscar-winning Wallace & Grommit: The Wrong Trousers.
Brentwood's Orchestras for Young People was founded in 1990 and grew to include five ensembles for orchestral instrumentalists of school age, who perform regularly in and around the town. Regular rehearsals and workshops introduce the musicians to a wide variety of music, from well-known classical pieces to modern music.
The Brentwood Performing Arts Festival has now been accepted into membership by the British and International Federation of Festivals of which Queen Elizabeth II is patron. With this, the Festival has achieved recognition as the Festival of Performing Arts for Brentwood.
The youth of Brentwood are also included in preparation for the London Olympics of 2012. The borough council formed Brentwood Young Ambassadors in Celebration of 2012: nine Year 7s from five secondary schools in Brentwood have been selected to be the 'voice' of local young people. They will help to ensure that young people have a strong and memorable experience of the Olympics and its educational opportunities and celebrations through arts, sports, culture and community. Not only will they lead on key celebratory projects within their school, partnership primary schools and their local community, they will have the opportunity to take part in some key local events and have a say about how young people can be involved. The ambassadaors will take part in a six-week training scheme to help them deliver projects with a small budget. Training will be delivered in teamwork and leadership, presentation and debating, budgeting and fundraising and project management and evaluation skills.
The town is the venue of the Brentwood International Chess Congress which was set up in 2006 and first ran 17-18 February 2007. The congress attracted 235 competitors who included three Grandmasters and five International Masters. The prize fund is relatively generous in comparison to many other similar congresses, being around £4,000. In 2007 it was the largest chess competition to be held in Essex and was organised by Brentwood Chess Club.
, Brentwood is surrounded by open countryside and woodland. This has been cited as showing the success of the Metropolitan Green Belt
in halting the outward spread of London's built-up area.
Brentwood has a number of public open spaces including King George V Playing Field, Shenfield Common, and two country parks at South Weald and Thorndon. Weald Country Park
was first chosen to hold the 2012 Olympics mountain biking but was declared to be "too easy" a course. Brentwood does however host a number of Criterium Cycle Races that attract many of Britain's greatest cyclists.
The town has two large sports centres providing access to a range of sports including badminton, squash, swimming, and football. There are a number of golf courses, including a 70-par municipal course very close to the town centre at Hartswood as well as others in the surrounding countryside. A number of cricket clubs exist in and around the town although the County Ground, closest to the town centre, no longer hosts Essex matches. Brentwood is also home to Brentwood Town F.C.
and London Leopards
, who play at the Brentwood Centre. The town is also home to London junior league club Brentwood Elvers RLFC, the only rugby league club in west Essex. Brentwood Hockey Club is also based in the town at the Old County Ground and fielded 7 Mens and 5 Ladies league teams for the 2009-10 season.
Although no longer manufactured here, Brentwood became the centre of trampolining
in the United Kingdom between 1965 and 1981 after George Nissen
brought the new sport to the town in 1949 and eventually manufactured trampolines in the town, continuing to do so for many years after they ceased production in the USA for fear of litigation. Ted Blake
, a long-term Brentwood resident, was managing director of Nissen UK from its inception until shortly before it closed and became a leading figure worldwide in the development of modern trampolining. Brentwood still has a thriving trampolining community but no longer a local factory.
The town also has a large volleyball
club and the only handball
club in Essex.
.jpg)
. The other main public transport providers include Arriva Shires & Essex
, Imperial Buses
, Regal Busways
and First London
. London Buses route 498 links Romford
with Brentwood and operates daily.
The A12 trunk road bypasses the town to the north and the M25 motorway
is located 2 miles (3 km) to the southwest of the town.
Brentwood railway station
is located to the south of the town and is served by National Express East Anglia stopping services between London Liverpool Street
in the City of London
and Shenfield
.
(since March 1994) Roth
(since August 1978)
Brentwood (borough)
Brentwood is a local government district and borough in Essex in the East of England.-History & Geography:The borough is named after the town of Brentwood which is the main development in the area. There are still large areas of woodland including Shenfield Common, Hartswood , Weald Country Park,...
, in the county of Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
in the east
East of England
The East of England is one of the nine official regions of England. It was created in 1994 and was adopted for statistics from 1999. It includes the ceremonial counties of Essex, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. Essex has the highest population in the region.Its...
of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is located in the London commuter belt
London commuter belt
The London commuter belt is the metropolitan area surrounding London, England from which it is practical to commute to work in the capital. It is alternatively known as the Greater South East, the London metropolitan area or the Southeast metropolitan area...
, 20 miles (30 km) east north-east of Charing Cross in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and near the M25 motorway
M25 motorway
The M25 motorway, or London Orbital, is a orbital motorway that almost encircles Greater London, England, in the United Kingdom. The motorway was first mooted early in the 20th century. A few sections, based on the now abandoned London Ringways plan, were constructed in the early 1970s and it ...
.
Brentwood is an affluent suburban town of 71,500 people and with a small, but expanding, shopping area and high street. Beyond this is extensive sprawling residential development entirely surrounded by open countryside and woodland; some penetrating to within only a few hundred yards of the town centre. It is perhaps most widely known for Brentwood School and for several businesses based in the town.
Etymology
The name was assumed by antiquaries in the 1700s to derive from a corruption of the words 'burnt' and 'wood', with the name Burntwood still visible on some 18th century maps. However, "brentBrent
Brent is Old English, place name and surname. The place name can be from Celtic words meaning "holy one" , or "high place," literally, "from a steep hill"...
" was the middle English for "burnt". The name describes the presumed reason for settlement in the part of the Forest of Essex (later Epping Forest
Epping Forest
Epping Forest is an area of ancient woodland in south-east England, straddling the border between north-east Greater London and Essex. It is a former royal forest, and is managed by the City of London Corporation....
) that would have covered the area, where the main occupation was charcoal burning. An alternative meaning of "brent" is "holy one", which could refer to the chapel dedicated to Thomas Becket
Thomas Becket
Thomas Becket was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 until his murder in 1170. He is venerated as a saint and martyr by both the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion...
, for the use of pilgrims to Canterbury
Canterbury
Canterbury is a historic English cathedral city, which lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a district of Kent in South East England. It lies on the River Stour....
.
Early history
Although a Bronze AgeBronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
axe has been found in Brentwood and there are clear signs of an entrenched encampment in Weald Country Park
Weald Country Park
Weald Country Park is a 700-year-old, 500 acre country park in South Weald in the borough of Brentwood in the English county of Essex. It is on the north-east fringe of Greater London....
it is considered unlikely that there was any significant early settlement of the area which was originally covered by the Great Forest covering most of Essex at that time. Rather it is believed that despite the Roman road between London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and Colchester
Colchester
Colchester is an historic town and the largest settlement within the borough of Colchester in Essex, England.At the time of the census in 2001, it had a population of 104,390. However, the population is rapidly increasing, and has been named as one of Britain's fastest growing towns. As the...
passing through, the Saxons
Saxons
The Saxons were a confederation of Germanic tribes originating on the North German plain. The Saxons earliest known area of settlement is Northern Albingia, an area approximately that of modern Holstein...
were the earliest settlers of the area.
Robert Graves
Robert Graves
Robert von Ranke Graves 24 July 1895 – 7 December 1985 was an English poet, translator and novelist. During his long life he produced more than 140 works...
, in his book I, Claudius
I, Claudius
I, Claudius is a novel by English writer Robert Graves, written in the form of an autobiography of the Roman Emperor Claudius. As such, it includes history of the Julio-Claudian Dynasty and Roman Empire, from Julius Caesar's assassination in 44 BC to Caligula's assassination in AD 41...
, refers to Brentwood as the site of the battle where Claudius
Claudius
Claudius , was Roman Emperor from 41 to 54. A member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, he was the son of Drusus and Antonia Minor. He was born at Lugdunum in Gaul and was the first Roman Emperor to be born outside Italy...
defeated the Ancient Britons
Britons (historical)
The Britons were the Celtic people culturally dominating Great Britain from the Iron Age through the Early Middle Ages. They spoke the Insular Celtic language known as British or Brythonic...
in 44 AD. However, Graves also states that names and places in the book are sometimes fictitious.
The borough began as a small clearing in the middle of a dense forest, created by fire, giving it the name of Burntwood, or 'the place where the wood was burned'. People began to settle there and, because it was on the crossroads of the old Roman road from Colchester to London and the route the pilgrims took over the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
to Canterbury, it grew into a small town. A chapel was built in or around 1221, and in 1227 a market charter was granted. The new township, occupying the highest ground in the parish, lay at the junction of the main London-Colchester road with the Ongar-Tilbury road. Its growth may have been stimulated by the cult of St. Thomas the Martyr, to whom the chapel was dedicated: the 12th century ruin of Thomas Becket
Thomas Becket
Thomas Becket was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 until his murder in 1170. He is venerated as a saint and martyr by both the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion...
Chapel was a popular stopping point for pilgrims on their way to Canterbury. The ruin stands in the centre of the high street, next to the tourist information office, and the nearby parish church of Brentwood retains the dedication to St. Thomas of Canterbury. Pilgrims Hatch
Pilgrims Hatch
Pilgrims Hatch is a residential suburb of Brentwood, Essex, in the east of England. There is a borough council ward bearing the name 'Pilgrims Hatch' which covers the Bishops Hall and Flower estates and a small rural area to the north up to Ashwells Road and Days Lane. Pilgrims Hatch usually...
, or 'Pilgrims' gate', was probably named from pilgrims who crossed through on their way to the chapel. It is likely, however, that Brentwood's development was due chiefly to its main road position, its market, and its convenient location as an administrative centre. Early industries were connected mainly with textile and garment making, brewing, and brickmaking.
During the Peasants' Revolt
Peasants' Revolt
The Peasants' Revolt, Wat Tyler's Rebellion, or the Great Rising of 1381 was one of a number of popular revolts in late medieval Europe and is a major event in the history of England. Tyler's Rebellion was not only the most extreme and widespread insurrection in English history but also the...
of 1381, Brentwood was the meeting place for some of the instigators, such as John Ball
John Ball (priest)
John Ball was an English Lollard priest who took a prominent part in the Peasants' Revolt of 1381. In that year, Ball gave a sermon in which he asked the rhetorical question, "When Adam delved and Eve span, who was then the gentleman?".-Biography:Little is known of Ball's early years. He lived in...
and Jack Straw
Jack Straw (rebel leader)
For other uses, see Jack Straw Jack Straw was one of the three leaders of the Peasants' Revolt of 1381, a major event in the history of England.-Biography:Little is known of the Rising's leaders. It been suggested that Jack Straw may have been a preacher...
. They, apparently, met regularly in local pubs and inns. The Essex assizes
Assizes
Assize or Assizes may refer to:Assize or Assizes may refer to:Assize or Assizes may refer to::;in common law countries :::*assizes , an obsolete judicial inquest...
were sometimes held here, as well as at Chelmsford
Chelmsford
Chelmsford is the county town of Essex, England and the principal settlement of the borough of Chelmsford. It is located in the London commuter belt, approximately northeast of Charing Cross, London, and approximately the same distance from the once provincial Roman capital at Colchester...
. One such pub was The White Hart (now a nightclub called Sugar Hut Village and showing little of its original historic interest), which is one of the oldest buildings in Brentwood; it is believed to have been built in 1480 although apocryphal evidence suggests a hostelry might have stood on the site as much as a hundred years earlier and been visited in 1392 by Richard II
Richard II of England
Richard II was King of England, a member of the House of Plantagenet and the last of its main-line kings. He ruled from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. Richard was a son of Edward, the Black Prince, and was born during the reign of his grandfather, Edward III...
, whose coat of arms included a white hart. The ground floor was originally stabling and in the mid-1700s the owners ran their own coach service to London. On 13 September 2009, the building and roof suffered significant damage during a fire.
Marygreen Manor, a handsome 16th century building on London Road, is mentioned in Samuel Pepys
Samuel Pepys
Samuel Pepys FRS, MP, JP, was an English naval administrator and Member of Parliament who is now most famous for the diary he kept for a decade while still a relatively young man...
' diaries and is said to have been often visited by the Tudor monarch Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
when Henry Roper, Gentleman Pursuant to Queen Catherine of Aragon
Catherine of Aragon
Catherine of Aragon , also known as Katherine or Katharine, was Queen consort of England as the first wife of King Henry VIII of England and Princess of Wales as the wife to Arthur, Prince of Wales...
, lived there in 1514. It is now a hotel and restaurant. In 1686, Brentwood's inns were estimated to provide 110 beds and stabling for 183 horses. There were 11 inns in the town in 1788.
Protestant martyr William Hunter
William Hunter (Protestant martyr)
William Hunter was a Marian martyr burnt to death in Brentwood at the age of 19 on March 27, 1555 on Ingrave Road. He had lost his job in London as a silk-weaver because he refused to attend the Catholic mass, despite an order that everyone in the City of London had to attend, and had come to live...
was burnt at the stake in Brentwood in 1555. A monument to him was erected by subscription in 1861 at Wilson's Corner. Thomas Munn, 'gentleman brickmaker' of Brentwood, met a less noble end when he was hanged for robbing the Yarmouth mail and his body was exhibited in chains at Gallows Corner, a road junction a few miles from Brentwood. A ducking stool was mentioned in 1584.
As the Roman road grew busier, Brentwood became a major coaching stop for stagecoaches, with plenty of inns for overnight accommodation as the horses were rested. A 'stage' was approximately ten miles, and being about 20 miles (32.2 km) from London, Brentwood would have been a second stop for travellers to East Anglia
East Anglia
East Anglia is a traditional name for a region of eastern England, named after an ancient Anglo-Saxon kingdom, the Kingdom of the East Angles. The Angles took their name from their homeland Angeln, in northern Germany. East Anglia initially consisted of Norfolk and Suffolk, but upon the marriage of...
. This has not changed; there is an above average number of pubs in the area - possibly due to the army being stationed at Warley Barracks until the 1960s. Some of the pubs date back to the 15th and 16th centuries. Brentwood was also significant as a hub for the London postal service, with a major post office since the 18th century. The most recent major post office on the high street was recently closed in the 2008 budget cuts; Brentwood residents now must rely on sub-postal offices.
Daniel Defoe
Daniel Defoe
Daniel Defoe , born Daniel Foe, was an English trader, writer, journalist, and pamphleteer, who gained fame for his novel Robinson Crusoe. Defoe is notable for being one of the earliest proponents of the novel, as he helped to popularise the form in Britain and along with others such as Richardson,...
wrote about Brentwood as being "...full of good inns, and chiefly maintained by the excessive multitude of carriers and passengers, which are constantly passing this way to London, with droves of cattle, provisions and manufactures."
The 'Brentwood Ring', the earliest Christian ring ever to have been discovered in Britain was found in Brentwood in the late 1940s. It now resides at the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
in London. The only other ring of its type in existence can be found at the Vatican Museum in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
.
Modern history
Brentwood originated as an ancient parish of 460 acres (1.86 km²). In 1891 the population was 4,949. Under the Local Government Act 1894Local Government Act 1894
The Local Government Act 1894 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales outside the County of London. The Act followed the reforms carried out at county level under the Local Government Act 1888...
, the Brentwood parish formed part of the Billericay Rural District
Billericay Rural District
Billericay Rural District was a local government district in Essex, England from 1894 to 1934.It consisted of the following parishes:*Basildon*Brentwood *Bowes Gifford*Childerditch*Downham*Dunton...
of Essex. In 1899 the parish was removed from the rural district and formed the Brentwood Urban District
Brentwood Urban District
Brentwood Urban District was a local government district in south Essex, England from 1899 to 1974.The district was created in 1899 from the parish of Brentwood which from 1894 had formed part of Billericay Rural District....
. In 1934 the parish and district were enlarged by gaining Hutton, Ingrave and South Weald. The district was abolished in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972
Local Government Act 1972
The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....
, and Brentwood urban district was joined with the parishes of Ingatestone and Fryerning, Mountnessing, Doddinghurst, Blackmore, Navestock, Kelvedon Hatch, and Stondon Massey to form the Brentwood district with a total area of 36,378 acres. In 1976 the new district was divided into 18 wards, with 39 councillors. In 1993, Brentwood gained borough status.
In 1917, the parish church was awarded cathedral status, then between 1989 and 1991 the building was modified to appear in an Italianate Classical style. Brentwood Cathedral
Brentwood Cathedral
The Cathedral Church of St Mary and St Helen is the Roman Catholic cathedral in the English town of Brentwood, Essex. It is the seat of the Diocese of Brentwood.-History:...
is currently the seat of the Roman Catholic Bishop of Brentwood
Bishop of Brentwood
The Bishop of Brentwood is the Ordinary of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brentwood in the Province of Westminster, England.-Overview:The diocese covers the historic county of Essex, an area of comprising the non-metropolitan county of Essex, the unitary authorities of Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock,...
.
Incidentally, Ingatestone Hall, noted for its Roman Catholic connections through the Petres, is a 16th-century manor house built by Sir William Petre at Yenge-atte-Stone. The staunch Petres played a significant role in the preservation of the Catholic faith in England. Sir William was assistant to Thomas Cromwell
Thomas Cromwell, 1st Earl of Essex
Thomas Cromwell, 1st Earl of Essex, , was an English statesman who served as chief minister of King Henry VIII of England from 1532 to 1540....
when Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
sought to dissolve the monasteries
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
and ascended to the confidential post of Secretary of State, throughout the revolutionary changes of four Tudor monarchs: Henry VIII, Edward VI
Edward VI of England
Edward VI was the King of England and Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death. He was crowned on 20 February at the age of nine. The son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, Edward was the third monarch of the Tudor dynasty and England's first monarch who was raised as a Protestant...
, Mary I
Mary I of England
Mary I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from July 1553 until her death.She was the only surviving child born of the ill-fated marriage of Henry VIII and his first wife Catherine of Aragon. Her younger half-brother, Edward VI, succeeded Henry in 1547...
, and Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
. Queen Mary, in 1553, on her way to claim her crown in London, stopped at Ingatestone Hall; later, Queen Elizabeth I spent several nights at the hall on her royal progress of 1561.
Today, Ingatestone Hall, like all other large Tudor houses, is an expression of wealth and status and retains many of the features of a 16th century knightly residence, despite alterations by descendants who still live in the house. Ingatestone Hall represented the exterior of Bleak House in the 2005 television adaptation of Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
' novel, and also appeared in an episode of the television series Lovejoy
Lovejoy
Lovejoy is a TV series about the adventures of Lovejoy, a British antiques dealer and faker based in East Anglia, a less than scrupulous yet likeable rogue. The episodes were based on a series of picaresque novels by John Grant...
. It is open to the public for tours, concerts, and performances; the hall and grounds can be rented for weddings and other occasions.
Brentwood was the location of Warley Hospital
Warley Hospital
Warley Hospital was a hospital for the mentally ill located in Brentwood, Essex, England.-History:The hospital was originally destined for Chelmsford and plans were drawn up as early as 1819, for a hospital for the mentally ill, serving south Essex....
, a psychiatric hospital
Psychiatric hospital
Psychiatric hospitals, also known as mental hospitals, are hospitals specializing in the treatment of serious mental disorders. Psychiatric hospitals vary widely in their size and grading. Some hospitals may specialise only in short-term or outpatient therapy for low-risk patients...
, from 1853 to 2001. A British East India Company
East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
elephant training school was based in Brentwood and this remained an active army base as a depot for the Essex Regiment
Essex Regiment
The Essex Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army that saw active service from 1881 to 1958. Members of the regiment were recruited from across Essex county. Its lineage is continued by the Royal Anglian Regiment.-Origins:...
until 1959, when much of the site was redeveloped as the European headquarters for the Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
. A few buildings remain from the Barracks - the regimental chapel, the gymnasium (now being a council-owned public hall called Keys Hall) and the officers mess (now Marillac Hospital).
Brentwood's military history
The military has associations with the Warley section of Brentwood going back over 200 years. It also had strategic importance during the time of the Spanish Armada - it was used as a meeting place for contingents from eight eastern and midland counties (900 horsemen assembled here) to then travel on to Tilbury.The local common was used as a military camp in 1742, with thousands of troops camped there during the summer months. It was an ideal base, as it was less than a day's march to Tilbury, where the troops would leave for foreign service. In the 1778 encampment, George III
George III of the United Kingdom
George III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death...
came to inspect the troops, and Dr. Samuel Johnson stayed for five days. The camps were made permanent in 1804, with space for 2,000 cavalry. 116 acre (0.46943576 km²) of land were bought and used for two troops of horse artillery - 222 horses, with 306 soldiers of varying ranks and ten officers - a hospital, and half a battalion of the Rifle Brigade.
In 1842 the East India Company's barracks at Chatham became inadequate, and they purchased the land to move their troops in. Accommodation was created for 785 recruits and 20 sergeants with new buildings for the officers. Married family housing was also provided, and a chapel. In 1856 further building work was carried out, and a total of 1,120 men were housed there every year. After training they were deployed to India.
The area and men were absorbed into the British Army after the Indian Mutiny in 1857, and in 1861 the barracks was bought by the War Office. By 1881 the many different regiments had evolved into the Essex Regiment, which saw active service in the Boer War and both World Wars. The barracks served as a training centre and depot for the Essex Regiment for a number of years after the war, with many National Servicemen serving their first weeks here, but with the ending of conscription in 1960 the barracks closed.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, over 1,000 bombs were dropped on Brentwood, with 19 flying bombs (doodlebugs), 32 long-range rockets (V2s) and many incendiary bombs and parachute mines. 5,038 houses were destroyed, 389 people were injured and 43 died. The 15th- and 16th-century pubs, however, survived. Brentwood had been considered a safe enough haven to evacuate London children here - 6,000 children arrived in September 1939 alone.
Brentwood gained some unfair notoriety and national attention in the 1990s, mocked as the most boring town in Britain. The controversy was initially caused by David McClucky, the former manager of Brentwood Theatre, who, while being interviewed by a local reporter, said it was "hard to pick something interesting about Brentwood" in response to a query about the upcoming Brentwood Festival (a now-defunct parade and street festival). He later claimed he meant it was hard to pick from the many interesting historical events in Brentwood's history. The trivia that 'bored town' is an anagram of Brentwood added to the jesting in the press.
Today's Brentwood
The town is increasingly suburban, but it does have a very rural feel, with trees, fields and open spaces all around the town; Shenfield Common is also less than one mile from town centre shops.In 2008 The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
found Brentwood to be Britain's 19th richest town. The newspaper cited Brentwood's private schools, open parks, good motorway access and a 35-minute train journey to London's Liverpool Street station
Liverpool Street station
Liverpool Street railway station, also known as London Liverpool Street or simply Liverpool Street, is both a central London railway terminus and a connected London Underground station in the north-eastern corner of the City of London, England...
as reasons why it was chosen. A sizable proportion of the housing stock in Brentwood is characterised with large detached houses. 79% of the town's 28,767 dwellings are owner-occupied, and 40% of households own two or more cars.
A significant proportion of residents, particularly those who live in the suburbs of Shenfield and Hutton, work in the financial services sector in London. The City 'bonus season' is known to have a positive affect on the economy of Brentwood.
Brentwood's high street has also been subject to major redevelopment works costing between £3 million and £7 million. This included the demolition of the Sir Charles Napier pub to build an additional lane to improve traffic flow at the west end of the high street, and re-laying the pavements and road surface in the high street itself.
Business
Several notable businesses are located in Brentwood.The Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
's United Kingdom headquarters are located in the suburb of Warley
Warley, Essex
Warley is a suburb of Brentwood in Essex. It is a particularly affluent part of Brentwood and is situated to the south of the town. It is notable for being home to the British headquarters of Ford Motor Company....
, as are the property developer Countryside Properties
Countryside Properties
Countryside Properties Ltd is a property development company based in the United Kingdom. It is active in urban regeneration and creation of sustainable communities. It also carries out Design and Build contracts for housing associations....
. Hinge manufacturers NV Tools are based in the commuter suburb of Hutton
Hutton, Essex
Hutton is a former country village in south Essex. Today, it acts more as a commuter suburb of Brentwood. It has good links to Central London via Shenfield train station which is just from Hutton...
.
From the financial services sector, Equity Insurance Group
Equity Insurance Group
Equity Insurance Group is a UK personal lines and commercial insurer. It comprises two specialist divisions: Equity Red Star, its underwriting arm and Equity Direct Broking, its broking business.-Equity Red Star:...
, comprising Equity Red Star (Lloyd's
Lloyd's of London
Lloyd's, also known as Lloyd's of London, is a British insurance and reinsurance market. It serves as a partially mutualised marketplace where multiple financial backers, underwriters, or members, whether individuals or corporations, come together to pool and spread risk...
syndicate 218), affinity provider Equity Direct Broking Limited and motorcycle insurance broker Bike Team, is headquartered in the town centre. The Bank of New York Mellon also have a substantial presence in the town.
LV=
LV=
LV is the UK's largest friendly society with approximately 1.1 million members.-History and legal constitution:...
also has a major office in the town, employing 350 people at present.
The previous and current headquarters of electronics company Amstrad
Amstrad
Amstrad is a British electronics company, now wholly owned by BSkyB. As of 2006, Amstrad's main business is manufacturing Sky Digital interactive boxes....
are located in Brentwood. The television show The Apprentice used overhead views of the Canary Wharf
Canary Wharf
Canary Wharf is a major business district located in London, United Kingdom. It is one of London's two main financial centres, alongside the traditional City of London, and contains many of the UK's tallest buildings, including the second-tallest , One Canada Square...
business district in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
as an accompaniment to interior shots of the previous Amstrad offices, Amstrad House, which has since been converted into a Premier Inn hotel. Amstrad's current headquarters are located directly opposite the old Amstrad House.
Well-known businesses that used to operate in the town include vacuum flask
Vacuum flask
A vacuum flask is an insulating storage vessel which keeps its contents hotter or cooler than its surroundings. Invented by Sir James Dewar in 1892, the vacuum flask consists of two flasks, placed one within the other and joined at the neck...
manufacturer Thermos, and Nissen
George Nissen
George P. Nissen was an American gymnast and inventor who developed the modern trampoline and made trampolining a worldwide sport.-Background:...
whose UK factory and headquarters were established in the town by Ted Blake
Ted Blake
Ted Blake was an early British trampoline pioneer.Following the development of modern trampolines in the USA by George Nissen, Ted Blake was a major contributor to their nascence in the United Kingdom and in developing International Competition for trampolining.In his early years Ted went to the...
in the mid-1960s but closed in the 1980s.
The unemployment rate in Brentwood is 1.9%.
In 2011, a beauty parlour
Beauty salon
A beauty salon or beauty parlor is an establishment dealing with cosmetic treatments for men and women...
in the town became the focus of tabloid controversy when it was reported to be offering cosmetic treatments to children. The salon opened on the same day that a government report expressed concern over the commercialisation and sexualisation of children.
Local government and politics
Brentwood forms part of the larger Borough of BrentwoodBrentwood (borough)
Brentwood is a local government district and borough in Essex in the East of England.-History & Geography:The borough is named after the town of Brentwood which is the main development in the area. There are still large areas of woodland including Shenfield Common, Hartswood , Weald Country Park,...
which also encompasses the surrounding smaller suburbs and villages. For elections to Westminster, Brentwood forms part of the Brentwood and Ongar constituency. In the 2010 general election, Conservative Eric Pickles won the Brentwood and Ongar seat in parliament.
Arts and media
The Brentwood Theatre and The Hermitage are the main cultural buildings in Brentwood; located on the same site in the town centre, the yellow and blue theatre and the historic brick buildings are difficult to miss. Owned and maintained by an independent charity, Brentwood Theatre receives no regular arts funding or subsidy. However, through careful management and with the support of a team of volunteers it is able to keep costs low so that hire rates are good value for a 100- to 176-seat professional venue. The Hermitage is used as the centre for Brentwood Youth Service, with which the theatre is also involved.Brentwood Theatre is a fully fitted community theatre that serves more than 40 non-professional performing arts groups. With high-quality lighting and sound, set design and production, and flexible staging, it is also an ideal venue for touring professional troupes, like Eastern Angles, who recently staged Return to Akenfield to critical acclaim. Audrey Longman, the retiring chair of Brentwood Theatre Trust, and patron Stephen Moyer led a fundraising campaign to build on much-needed backstage facilities. The "Reaching Out, Building On" campaign, well publicised by local radio station Phoenix FM
Phoenix FM
Phoenix FM is a community radio station serving the areas of Brentwood and Billericay, England. It was formed in 1996 and has broadcast twelve 28-day restricted service licence broadcasts on FM. The station's presenters include local snooker hero Steve Davis, Boxer Rebellion drummer Piers Hewitt,...
, enabled the theatre to build on an entire back wing, enhancing the theatre with dressing rooms, a kitchen, office space, lifts, and the Audrey Longman Studio, a 40-seat multi-purpose room outfitted with dance mirrors, staging, seating, lighting, and sound for intimate performances, rehearsals, workshops, classes, and community meetings and ceremonies.
Local involvement provided support for Brentwood Theatre's renovation, but the campaign received a significant bump when a fan-based fundraiser became known to American fans of actor Stephen Moyer
Stephen Moyer
Stephen Moyer is an English actor who has starred as vampire Bill Compton in the HBO series True Blood since 2008.-Early life and career:Moyer was born in Brentwood, Essex...
, the first patron of the theatre. Word of the endeavor rapidly spread among fansites on the internet that emerged as a result of the popularity of HBO's True Blood
True Blood
True Blood is an American television series created and produced by Alan Ball. It is based on The Southern Vampire Mysteries series of novels by Charlaine Harris, detailing the co-existence of vampires and humans in Bon Temps, a fictional, small town in the state of Louisiana...
, created and produced by Alan Ball
Alan Ball (screenwriter)
Alan E. Ball is an American writer, director, actor and producer for film, theatre and television.-Early life:Ball was born in Atlanta, Georgia, to Frank and Mary Ball, an aircraft inspector and a homemaker...
and based loosely on Charlaine Harris
Charlaine Harris
Charlaine Harris is a New York Times bestselling author who has been writing mysteries for over twenty years. She was born and raised in the Mississippi River Delta area of the United States. She now lives in southern Arkansas with her husband and three children...
's Southern Vampire Mysteries. The show stars Brentwood-born Moyer and Golden Globe and Academy Award winner Anna Paquin
Anna Paquin
Anna Helene Paquin is a Canadian-born New Zealand actress. Paquin's first critically successful film was The Piano, for which she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1994 at the age of 11 – the second youngest winner in history...
. Moyer's portrayal of vampire Bill Compton inspired American and international contributors to donate more than £5,000 to the cause.
The theatre has also become known for its month-long Annual Holiday Children's Production every December. In 2008, local families enjoyed Roald Dahl's Fantastic Mr. Fox with Stephen Gunshon, Deborah Leury, and Katie-Elizabeth Allgood; the theatre presented Dahl's The Twits in the 2009 season.
The Hermitage youth service operates its own cafe, youth club and a live music venue called The Hermit, which has had hosted bands such as Motörhead and InMe
InMe
InMe are an English alternative metal band from Brentwood, Essex, who were formed in 1996. To date they have released four studio albums – Overgrown Eden ; White Butterfly ; Daydream Anonymous and Herald Moth and a greatest hits compilation album, Phoenix: The Very Best of InMe...
. InMe were heavily supported in their early years by the venue, whose purpose is to promote and encourage youth bands. It also plays host to private events such as a weekly jazz club that was run by the saxophonist Spike Robinson
Spike Robinson
Henry Berthold "Spike" Robinson was a tenor saxophonist. He began playing at age twelve, making recordings with famous jazz and bop musicians on several labels including Discovery, Hep and Concord. However, he sought an engineering degree and followed that profession on a fulltime basis for nearly...
until his death. Both venues co-host the Brentwood Blues Festival, a music event that has played host to the Blockheads and Bill Wyman
Bill Wyman
Bill Wyman is an English musician best known as the bass guitarist for the English rock and roll band the Rolling Stones from 1962 until 1992. Since 1997, he has recorded and toured with his own band, Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings...
.
A community radio station, Phoenix FM
Phoenix FM
Phoenix FM is a community radio station serving the areas of Brentwood and Billericay, England. It was formed in 1996 and has broadcast twelve 28-day restricted service licence broadcasts on FM. The station's presenters include local snooker hero Steve Davis, Boxer Rebellion drummer Piers Hewitt,...
serves the Brentwood area. The station was formed in August 1996 and broadcast ten trial broadcasts under a restricted service licence, each lasting 28 days, the first starting on 29 December 1996 and the last ending on 25 February 2006. On 23 March 2007, the station started to broadcast permanently on 98.0 FM, featuring popular music, local musicians and acts, local events, and interviews with key local figures.
The Brentwood Art Trail has become a popular annual summer event which was developed to create an arts experience whereby art created by local people can be recognised and appreciated.
Brentwood is also home to the Royal British Legion Youth Band, which perform at many events throughout the year, including the military tattoo at Haileybury and Swanage Carnival. It is a successful band and attracts youngsters from the age of eight from Brentwood and surrounding areas. It was the first British band to ever take part in the Tournament of Roses Parade
Tournament of Roses Parade
The Tournament of Roses Parade, better known as the Rose Parade, is "America's New Year Celebration", a festival of flower-covered floats, marching bands, equestrians and a college football game on New Year's Day , produced by the non-profit Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association.The annual...
in Pasadena, California
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
. It meets twice a week in Warley.
Among the many theatre companies in the region, Brentwood Operatic Society and Shenfield Operatic Society are two that represent the many groups providing excellent theatrical productions for the community. Brentwood Operatic Society also trains young actors with its BOSSY Youth acting program, headed by Gaynor Wilson, who formerly directed actor Stephen Moyer. David Pickthall serves as musical director when not heading the music department at Brentwood School, scoring films and television shows for the BBC, directing British orchestras, and composing. The award-winning composer wrote two operas and three musicals, published worldwide by Samuel French Ltd. He is also the musical voice of the villainous penguin in the Oscar-winning Wallace & Grommit: The Wrong Trousers.
Brentwood's Orchestras for Young People was founded in 1990 and grew to include five ensembles for orchestral instrumentalists of school age, who perform regularly in and around the town. Regular rehearsals and workshops introduce the musicians to a wide variety of music, from well-known classical pieces to modern music.
The Brentwood Performing Arts Festival has now been accepted into membership by the British and International Federation of Festivals of which Queen Elizabeth II is patron. With this, the Festival has achieved recognition as the Festival of Performing Arts for Brentwood.
The youth of Brentwood are also included in preparation for the London Olympics of 2012. The borough council formed Brentwood Young Ambassadors in Celebration of 2012: nine Year 7s from five secondary schools in Brentwood have been selected to be the 'voice' of local young people. They will help to ensure that young people have a strong and memorable experience of the Olympics and its educational opportunities and celebrations through arts, sports, culture and community. Not only will they lead on key celebratory projects within their school, partnership primary schools and their local community, they will have the opportunity to take part in some key local events and have a say about how young people can be involved. The ambassadaors will take part in a six-week training scheme to help them deliver projects with a small budget. Training will be delivered in teamwork and leadership, presentation and debating, budgeting and fundraising and project management and evaluation skills.
The town is the venue of the Brentwood International Chess Congress which was set up in 2006 and first ran 17-18 February 2007. The congress attracted 235 competitors who included three Grandmasters and five International Masters. The prize fund is relatively generous in comparison to many other similar congresses, being around £4,000. In 2007 it was the largest chess competition to be held in Essex and was organised by Brentwood Chess Club.
Sport, parks and open spaces
Although close to the extremities of Greater LondonGreater London
Greater London is the top-level administrative division of England covering London. It was created in 1965 and spans the City of London, including Middle Temple and Inner Temple, and the 32 London boroughs. This territory is coterminate with the London Government Office Region and the London...
, Brentwood is surrounded by open countryside and woodland. This has been cited as showing the success of the Metropolitan Green Belt
Metropolitan Green Belt
The Metropolitan Green Belt is a statutory green belt around London, England. It includes designated parts of Greater London and the surrounding counties of Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent and Surrey in the South East and East of England regions.-History:The...
in halting the outward spread of London's built-up area.
Brentwood has a number of public open spaces including King George V Playing Field, Shenfield Common, and two country parks at South Weald and Thorndon. Weald Country Park
Weald Country Park
Weald Country Park is a 700-year-old, 500 acre country park in South Weald in the borough of Brentwood in the English county of Essex. It is on the north-east fringe of Greater London....
was first chosen to hold the 2012 Olympics mountain biking but was declared to be "too easy" a course. Brentwood does however host a number of Criterium Cycle Races that attract many of Britain's greatest cyclists.
The town has two large sports centres providing access to a range of sports including badminton, squash, swimming, and football. There are a number of golf courses, including a 70-par municipal course very close to the town centre at Hartswood as well as others in the surrounding countryside. A number of cricket clubs exist in and around the town although the County Ground, closest to the town centre, no longer hosts Essex matches. Brentwood is also home to Brentwood Town F.C.
Brentwood Town F.C.
Brentwood Town F.C. are an English football club based in Brentwood, Essex. The club is currently a member of the Isthmian League Division One North.-History:...
and London Leopards
London Leopards
The BA London Leopards is a British basketball team who competes in the English Basketball League Division 1. The team was established in 1997 as Ware Fire, but following the demise and eventual closure of the former British Basketball League franchise Essex Leopards in 2003, a supporters group...
, who play at the Brentwood Centre. The town is also home to London junior league club Brentwood Elvers RLFC, the only rugby league club in west Essex. Brentwood Hockey Club is also based in the town at the Old County Ground and fielded 7 Mens and 5 Ladies league teams for the 2009-10 season.
Although no longer manufactured here, Brentwood became the centre of trampolining
Trampolining
Trampolining is a competitive Olympic sport in which gymnasts perform acrobatics while bouncing on a trampoline. These can include simple jumps in the pike, tuck or straddle position to more complex combinations of forward or backward somersaults and twists....
in the United Kingdom between 1965 and 1981 after George Nissen
George Nissen
George P. Nissen was an American gymnast and inventor who developed the modern trampoline and made trampolining a worldwide sport.-Background:...
brought the new sport to the town in 1949 and eventually manufactured trampolines in the town, continuing to do so for many years after they ceased production in the USA for fear of litigation. Ted Blake
Ted Blake
Ted Blake was an early British trampoline pioneer.Following the development of modern trampolines in the USA by George Nissen, Ted Blake was a major contributor to their nascence in the United Kingdom and in developing International Competition for trampolining.In his early years Ted went to the...
, a long-term Brentwood resident, was managing director of Nissen UK from its inception until shortly before it closed and became a leading figure worldwide in the development of modern trampolining. Brentwood still has a thriving trampolining community but no longer a local factory.
The town also has a large volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
club and the only handball
Team handball
Handball is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each pass a ball to throw it into the goal of the other team...
club in Essex.
Notable people
- Jonty HearndenJonty HearndenJonty Hearnden is an English antiques expert and television presenter. Though born in London Road, Brentwood , he was raised in Dorchester-on-Thames in Oxfordshire.-Education:Hearnden was educated at Shiplake College, an independent...
- television presenter - Noel MooreNoel MooreNoel Ernest Ackroyd Moore was a British civil servant who was responsible for running the process leading to the decimalisation of the UK's currency in 1971. He was later principal of the Civil Service College.-Early life:...
- Civil Servant - Sarah KaneSarah KaneSarah Kane was an English playwright. Her plays deal with themes of redemptive love, sexual desire, pain, torture — both physical and psychological — and death. They are characterised by a poetic intensity, pared-down language, exploration of theatrical form and, in her earlier work, the use of...
- playwright - Paul WickensPaul WickensPaul "Wix" Wickens is a keyboardist and composer from Essex, United Kingdom. Wickens has worked with musicians such as Paul McCartney, Nik Kershaw, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Bon Jovi and many other artists. Wickens has been a member of McCartney's touring band since 1989.-Career:Wickens began...
- musician - Pixie LottPixie LottVictoria Louise "Pixie" Lott is an English singer-songwriter, dancer and actress. Her debut single "Mama Do" was released in June 2009 and went straight to number one in the UK Singles Chart. Her second single "Boys and Girls", also topped the UK charts in September 2009. Her debut album Turn It...
- singer - Steve DavisSteve DavisSteve Davis, OBE is an English professional snooker player. He has won more professional titles in the sport than any other player, including six World Championships during the 1980s, when he was the world number one for seven years and became the sport's first millionaire...
- snooker player - Jodie MarshJodie MarshJodie Marsh is an English media personality, former glamour model and bodybuilder. She has appeared topless in many tabloid newspapers and has appeared in her own reality show, Totally Jodie Marsh.-Early life:...
- glamour model - Stephen MoyerStephen MoyerStephen Moyer is an English actor who has starred as vampire Bill Compton in the HBO series True Blood since 2008.-Early life and career:Moyer was born in Brentwood, Essex...
- actor - Logan SamaLogan SamaLogan Sama AKA. L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-OGAN Banks Sama is a British Grime DJ from Brentwood, Essex, who currently hosts a weekly Grime show on London radio station Kiss 100 which has been running since May 2005...
- grime DJ - Danny YoungDanny Young (actor)Daniel "Danny" Young is a British actor. On TV, he once starred, for twelve months, in the role of Warren Baldwin on the popular long running soap Coronation Street. He played the character from August 2004 to August 2005, until given the axe by the show's bosses due to the characters story line...
- actor - Frank BrunoFrank BrunoFranklin Roy Bruno MBE is an English former boxer whose career highlight was winning the WBC Heavyweight championship in 1995. Altogether, he won 40 of his 45 contests...
- boxer - Carlton LeachCarlton Leach-Early Life:He was born in Canning Town in East London. Leach was catapulted into a criminal career by his love of West Ham. Before long, he was a member of the notorious Inter City Firm, a gang of hooligans who followed the East London club.-Criminal Career:...
- former criminal - Billy MurrayBilly Murray (actor)Billy Murray is an English actor, best known for playing Don Beech in The Bill from 1995 to 2004, Johnny Allen in the BBC soap opera EastEnders from 2005 to 2006, Captain John Price in the video games Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare...
- actor - Ray ParlourRay ParlourRaymond "Ray" Parlour , is a retired English footballer. He spent his career playing for Arsenal, Middlesbrough and Hull City. During his Arsenal career he was nicknamed "The Romford Pelé"; although the nickname was given with an ironic sense of humour, on account of his solid performance but...
- footballer - James BuckleyJames Buckley (actor)James Patrick Buckley is an English actor, best known for his roles as Jay Cartwright in the British comedy The Inbetweeners and Derek "Del Boy" Trotter in Rock & Chips.-Early life:...
- actor - Dave McPhersonDave McPherson (musician)David Alexander John "Dave" McPherson is a rock musician and solo acoustic artist from Brentwood, Essex...
- musician - Neil RuddockNeil RuddockNeil "Razor" Ruddock is a retired English footballer, who played as a central defender.He made his debut at Millwall , and he had a long career playing for Tottenham Hotspur, Southampton, Liverpool, West Ham, Crystal Palace, and finally a short-lived spell as a player/coach at Swindon Town Neil...
- former footballer - Trevor BrookingTrevor BrookingSir Trevor David Brooking CBE is a football player turned manager, on-air analyst, and administrator.Brooking attended Ripple Infants School and left Ilford County High School with 11 O-levels and 2 A-levels....
- former footballer - John JervisJohn Jervis, 1st Earl of St VincentAdmiral of the Fleet John Jervis, 1st Earl of St Vincent GCB, PC was an admiral in the Royal Navy and Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom...
- admiral of the fleetAdmiral of the Fleet (Royal Navy)Admiral of the fleet is the highest rank of the British Royal Navy and other navies, which equates to the NATO rank code OF-10. The rank still exists in the Royal Navy but routine appointments ceased in 1996....
and patron of NelsonHoratio Nelson, 1st Viscount NelsonHoratio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronté, KB was a flag officer famous for his service in the Royal Navy, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars. He was noted for his inspirational leadership and superb grasp of strategy and unconventional tactics, which resulted in a number of... - Fatima WhitbreadFatima WhitbreadFatima Whitbread MBE is a British former javelin thrower and multiple medal-winner.-Early life:...
- Olympic medallist - Ross KempRoss KempRoss James Kemp is a BAFTA award-winning British actor, author and journalist, who rose to prominence in the role of Grant Mitchell in the BBC soap opera, EastEnders...
- actor - Barry HearnBarry HearnBarry Hearn is an English sporting events promoter, and the founder and chairman of promotions company Matchroom Sport. He is currently the chairman of Leyton Orient F.C., and the Professional Darts Corporation and was also until July 2010 chairman of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker...
- sports investor - Perry McCarthyPerry McCarthy-Career:Born in Billericay, Essex, McCarthy grew up to work for his father's company servicing North Sea oil rigs. Unlike most Formula One drivers, McCarthy did not start racing in karts...
- racing driver (former Top Gear Stig) - Louise RedknappLouise RedknappLouise Elizabeth Redknapp is an English singer and media personality. She was a member of the girl group Eternal from 1992 to 1995, before becoming a solo singer . She has presented several television shows and served as a judge on the UK version of So You Think You Can Dance...
- model and singer - Rees Warren - volleyball player and coach
- Leddra ChapmanLeddra ChapmanLeddra Chapman is a British singer-songwriter from Brentwood in Essex. Leddra was born in 1990 and is 21 years old. Her debut single, "Story", was released on 2 November 2009 and is from her debut album, Telling Tales, which was produced by Peter-John Vettese and released for download on 29...
- singer - Frank LampardFrank LampardFrank James Lampard is an English professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Chelsea and the England national team. He also holds the position of vice-captain for his club side...
- footballer (attended Brentwood School) - Noel EdmondsNoel EdmondsNoel Ernest Edmonds, is an English broadcaster and executive, who made his name as a DJ on BBC Radio 1 in the UK. He has presented many light entertainment television programmes, including Multi-Coloured Swap Shop, Top of the Pops, The Late, Late Breakfast Show, Telly Addicts, Noel's Saturday...
- television presenter (attended Brentwood School) - Eric PicklesEric PicklesEric Jack Pickles is a British Conservative Party politician. Pickles was appointed Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government of the coalition government headed by Prime Minister David Cameron on 12 May 2010....
- conservative MP - Jeff RandallJeff RandallJeff Randall is a fictional character played by Mike Pratt in the original private detective series, Randall and Hopkirk from 1969 to 1971 and by Bob Mortimer in the BBC remake...
- journalist - Amy ChildsAmy ChildsAmy Childs is an English model, beautician, reality television participant and television presenter from Essex. She is best known for being an original cast member on The Only Way Is Essex...
- reality television star
Transport
Brentwood is served by a number of bus services, many being operated by First EssexFirst Essex
First Essex Buses Limited is owned by First Group. First Essex carries around 29 million passengers each year on a network of routes serving Essex and the surrounding areas. It arose from an amalgamation of Eastern National and Thamesway Buses, whose yellow/maroon livery has only recently disappeared...
. The other main public transport providers include Arriva Shires & Essex
Arriva Shires & Essex
Arriva Shires & Essex is a division of Arriva, with operations in Essex, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and London. It is one of many private operators of London Buses. Until 2002 its operations included Colchester...
, Imperial Buses
Imperial Buses
Imperial Buses is a small bus company located in Romford, Essex who operate public transport services and private hire in Essex, Greater London and Thurrock.-Routes:...
, Regal Busways
Regal Busways
Regal Busways Ltd is a small bus operator established in 2001 and based in Essex. Their services operate through 30 local communities including Chelmsford, Epping, The Hanningfields, Canvey Island, Harlow, Ongar, Pleshey, Toot Hill, Upshire, Waltham Abbey, Waltham Cross and Wickford.-History:Regal...
and First London
First London
.First London is one of many operators of London Buses and owned by First Group. They did also run the Tramlink network, in a partnership with Tramtrack Croydon before June 2008. Their registered office is at Paddington station in London...
. London Buses route 498 links Romford
Romford
Romford is a large suburban town in north east London, England and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Havering. It is located northeast of Charing Cross and is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan...
with Brentwood and operates daily.
The A12 trunk road bypasses the town to the north and the M25 motorway
M25 motorway
The M25 motorway, or London Orbital, is a orbital motorway that almost encircles Greater London, England, in the United Kingdom. The motorway was first mooted early in the 20th century. A few sections, based on the now abandoned London Ringways plan, were constructed in the early 1970s and it ...
is located 2 miles (3 km) to the southwest of the town.
Brentwood railway station
Brentwood railway station
Brentwood railway station is a railway station in Brentwood, Essex. It is on the electric line between between Shenfield and London Liverpool Street....
is located to the south of the town and is served by National Express East Anglia stopping services between London Liverpool Street
Liverpool Street station
Liverpool Street railway station, also known as London Liverpool Street or simply Liverpool Street, is both a central London railway terminus and a connected London Underground station in the north-eastern corner of the City of London, England...
in the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
and Shenfield
Shenfield railway station
Shenfield is a major station located in Shenfield in the borough of Brentwood in Essex, England. It lies on the Great Eastern Main Line and links Liverpool Street station in the City of London to places in the East of England. It was first opened by the Eastern Counties Railway on 29 March 1843 on...
.
Nearest railway stations
- BrentwoodBrentwood railway stationBrentwood railway station is a railway station in Brentwood, Essex. It is on the electric line between between Shenfield and London Liverpool Street....
- metro services between London Liverpool Street and Shenfield - ShenfieldShenfield railway stationShenfield is a major station located in Shenfield in the borough of Brentwood in Essex, England. It lies on the Great Eastern Main Line and links Liverpool Street station in the City of London to places in the East of England. It was first opened by the Eastern Counties Railway on 29 March 1843 on...
- mainline services between London Liverpool Street and East Anglia - West HorndonWest Horndon railway stationWest Horndon station is a railway station located in West Horndon on the boundary between the boroughs of Brentwood and Thurrock, with the railway line forming a continuation of the boundary....
- metro services between London Fenchurch Street and ShoeburynessShoeburyness railway stationShoeburyness is a railway station located in the small town of Shoeburyness in the borough and unitary district of Southend-on-Sea in Essex, England. The station serves as the eastern terminus of the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway from Fenchurch Street railway station in the City of London,...
Nearest London Underground stations
- EppingEpping tube stationEpping on the London Underground is the north-eastern terminus of the Central Line. The station before Epping is Theydon Bois, which is about three minutes travelling time away. Epping station is in the Epping Forest District of Essex...
- Central lineCentral LineThe Central line is a London Underground line, coloured red on the tube map. It is a deep-level "tube" line, running east-west across London, and, at , has the greatest total length of track of any line on the Underground. Of the 49 stations served, 20 are below ground... - Upminster - District lineDistrict LineThe District line is a line of the London Underground, coloured green on the Tube map. It is a "sub-surface" line, running through the central area in shallow cut-and-cover tunnels. It is the busiest of the sub-surface lines. Out of the 60 stations served, 25 are underground...
Suburbs and nearby towns
- Chipping OngarChipping OngarChipping Ongar is a small market town, and a civil parish called Ongar, in the Epping Forest district of the county of Essex, England. It is located East of Epping, South-East of Harlow and North-West of Brentwood.-Geography:...
- DoddinghurstDoddinghurstDoddinghurst is a village and civil parish in south Essex. It is 3 miles to the north of Brentwood.-History:The village was recorded in the Domesday Book as Doddenhenc, an Anglo-Saxon name meaning "the wood of Dudda or of his people"...
- IngatestoneIngatestoneIngatestone is a small town in Essex, England, with a population of about 4500 people. To the immediate north lies the village of Fryerning, and the two form the civil parish of Ingatestone and Fryerning....
- IngraveIngraveIngrave is a village in south Essex. It is situated on and around the A128 road, 2 miles south of Brentwood.-Name and history:...
- HerongateHerongateHerongate is a village in south Essex, situated on the A128 road between Brentwood and West Horndon....
- HuttonHutton, EssexHutton is a former country village in south Essex. Today, it acts more as a commuter suburb of Brentwood. It has good links to Central London via Shenfield train station which is just from Hutton...
- Pilgrims HatchPilgrims HatchPilgrims Hatch is a residential suburb of Brentwood, Essex, in the east of England. There is a borough council ward bearing the name 'Pilgrims Hatch' which covers the Bishops Hall and Flower estates and a small rural area to the north up to Ashwells Road and Days Lane. Pilgrims Hatch usually...
- RomfordRomfordRomford is a large suburban town in north east London, England and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Havering. It is located northeast of Charing Cross and is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan...
- Shenfield
- WarleyWarley, EssexWarley is a suburb of Brentwood in Essex. It is a particularly affluent part of Brentwood and is situated to the south of the town. It is notable for being home to the British headquarters of Ford Motor Company....
Twin towns
Brentwood is twinned with two European towns: MontbazonMontbazon
Montbazon is a commune in the Indre-et-Loire department in central France.Montbazon is located on the river Indre between the towns Veigné, Monts and Sorigny...
(since March 1994) Roth
Roth (district)
Roth is a district in Bavaria, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Nürnberger Land, Neumarkt, Eichstätt, Weißenburg-Gunzenhausen, Ansbach and Fürth, and the cities of Schwabach and Nuremberg....
(since August 1978)
External links
- http://www.activbrentwood.com - Comprehensive Guide to Brentwood
- Brentwood Borough Council - Welcome to Brentwood (PDF)
- Churches in Brentwood - The Website of Churches Together in Brentwood
- BBC's H2G2 Entry on Brentwood
- A Resident's View on Life in Brentwood
- - Website for Brentwood Theatre, Essex, UK
- - Inside Brentwood Local Business Directory and Guide for the Brentwood area
- Brentwood Town Football Club - Brentwood Town Football Club's Official Website